


A War Where No One Walks Away A Winner

by Jamilton



Category: Hamilton - Miranda, Hamilton - Miranda (Broadway Cast) RPF
Genre: Alex Is Not A Morning Person, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Angst, Arguing, College, Domestic, Dorms, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Huddling For Warmth, Humor, Idiots in Love, Jealous Alex, Jealousy, Light Angst, M/M, Mario Kart, Mutual Pining, Nor is Thomas, Pining, Roommates, Sharing Clothes, Sharing a Bed, Sharing a Room
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-06
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-06-22 04:33:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15573861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jamilton/pseuds/Jamilton
Summary: Alex's roommate is an asshole.





	A War Where No One Walks Away A Winner

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kikicampbells](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kikicampbells/gifts).



Alex's roommate is an asshole.

Not the typical type of asshole - not the type that takes ten years to order coffee, or the type that is rude to serving staff - but a different kind. The kind of asshole that turns music up to full volume when Alex is sleeping, then insists that it is _Alex's_ fault he woke up. The kind of asshole who enjoys putting an alarm on at five in the morning.

The kind of asshole that is only achievable by Thomas _fucking_ Jefferson. The same Thomas _fucking_ Jefferson that has decided it was a good idea to drink all of his coffee in one _afternoon_ , and preceded to decorate their dorm with _One Direction_ posters.

"No." Alex stated, glowering at a particularly garish poster. " _No_. I am _not_ having Harry Styles stare at me as I sleep. It's not going to happen."

Jefferson looked deeply unimpressed. He glared at Alex, crossing his arms and raising an unimpressed eyebrow. "As if Harry Styles would be interested in watching you sleep."

"Take it down, or I will." Alex threatened. He meant it, too. There was something incredibly unsettling about five different faces staring directly at him, from varying angles, peering into his soul as he attempted to ignore their unblinking gazes.

"My side of the room." Jefferson retorted, because he liked being difficult. Alex bit back the immediate retort that his own personalised poster (' _Jefferson is a dick'_ ) had magically disappeared within an hour of being put up, but knew that Jefferson would firmly deny having anything to do with it.

"I will take them down." Alex snapped, feeling the little patience he have wear away into thinly veiled frustration. "Don't test me."

"The story of my life." Jefferson sighed mournfully, gazing at one of the posters with a dramatically grieved tilt to his lips. "Whenever I try to express myself, there's always an angry midget to point at me and shout no."

"Was that a pun?" Alex asked, a demanding edge fused with the lilted note of surprised disbelief. "I _ban_ you from making puns. I'm the pun maker here, don't encroach on my style."

Jefferson rolled his eyes, as though _Alex_ was testing _his_ patience. He sighed, far more melodramatic than Alex knew he was capable of. "Then don't encroach on mine. Harry Styles stays."

"Bastard." Alex scowled, and judging by Jefferson's smug smirk, he took that as reluctant compliance. "I hate you."

"Aw, I didn't know you felt the same way." Jefferson clutched at his heart, looking completely endeared for a solid three seconds before Alex flipped him off. Jefferson rolled his eyes again, and responded in the similar.

Alex's roommate is a goddamn asshole.

 

**

 

The next morning brought a large amount of loud cursing and accusatory glares. Alex watched, distantly amused, as Jefferson tried to adjust to having roughly half an hour - as opposed to the usual hour and a half - to sort out all of his things. Alex really should be getting prepared himself, but it was far too amusing to watch someone so haughty swear with vicious vulgarity in many different languages.

"Did you turn my alarm off?" Jefferson eventually demanded, turning to face Alex with his ( _new, so don't even think of touching it, Hamilton, I'm watching you_ ) leather satchel resting across his shoulder. Alex had been deeply surprised to see that Jefferson had _glasses,_ and had to wear them due to the fact that he didn't have enough time to use contacts and arrive at his lecture.

Alex tilted his chin up, and crossed his arms tightly against his chest. "I don't like getting up at _five_ in the _morning_ because, unlike you, I am not a psychopath."

"Holy shit, you're a bastard." Jefferson said, glaring at him. Alex couldn't stop staring at him - glasses were definitely unexpected, but they really suited Jefferson. Alex decided he didn't like the fact that Jefferson was able to make very questionable style choices yet still get away with it. 

"How did you know my parents weren't married?" Alex enquired politely, tilting his head to the left to mimick a confused puppy.

"Wild _fucking_ guess." Jefferson snapped, rooting around his designated area for something that he seemed unable to locate. Eventually, Jefferson seemed to give up, closing a draw with far more force than necessary and turning to face Alex. "What the _hell_ is wrong with you?"

" _You're_ the asshole who played One Direction on a loop for three hours." Alex retorted, eyes narrowing in indignation. "I couldn't sleep until _one_ in the _morning_. Don't act pissed because you've lost an hour. If anything, I did you a _favor_."

"You thought it was _okay_ to turn off my alarm?" Jefferson asked, eyes flashing with frustration that he was smart enough to try and reign in.

"Yes." Alex simply replied, shrugging.

Jefferson seemed surprised by the casually indifferent answer Alex gave, and paused in his journey to the door to glare at Alex. "Goddamn it, Hamilton, you are the worst."

"Thanks, I try." Alex sent him a saccharine smile in response. Jefferson merely thinned his lips, slamming the door behind him with a startling force that made Alex sit straighter.

He reached over, grabbed his phone, and glanced at the home screen of his phone. He might have only ten minutes to get everything ready and get down to the lecture, but it was _worth it_.

 

**

 

Jefferson seemed to be sulking with him. Normally, when Alex walked into their dorm, Jefferson would offer a light insult, and Alex would reply with a similar one. However, when Alex returned from his lecture later in the afternoon, Jefferson hardly glanced up from his laptop.

"Your posters are fucking stupid." Alex announced, unsurprised to hear no response. Alex rolled his eyes, giving a put-on sigh at the lack of answer. A quick glance at Jefferson told him that he had abandoned the glasses for contacts, and his lips were thinned in annoyance. Alex dropped his bag on the border of his designated area, ignoring the small grimace of irritation at him placing his belongings so close to Jefferson's territory. He then walked over to the designated Neutral Zone to place the milk he had bought in the fridge. Alex immediately recoiled at the sheer amount of stuff in the fridge, all with a purple post-it note attached, marking the items as Jefferson's, and therefore untouchable.

"What the fuck is up with all the ready meals?" Alex asked. He was barely able to find enough room for the milk, and hastily placed a green post-it note on the lid.

"Unlike you, I can't survive on ramen and the tears of my enemies." Jefferson drawled, glancing up with a smirk. "I need food with _sophistication_."

"On what planet - no, on what _universe_ is mac and cheese even close to sophisticated?" Alex asked. Only Jefferson had enough time, money, and stubbornness to fill up their fridge with shitty ready meals. 

"On this one, asshole." Jefferson retorted, glancing up from over his laptop to meet Alex's eyes with a smirk.

Alex scowled. "Bullshit, Jefferson."

In response, Jefferson leaned over to turn on his stupidly loud speaker and blast some repetitive song by  _One Direction_. Alex wasn't even able to turn it off, as there was an unspoken agreement to never cross territories - an agreement that was often broken whenever the other was away.

 

**

 

Unfortunately, Jefferson was suddenly being ridiculously protective of his alarm, and had successfully hidden it from the view of an incredibly determined Alex. Consequently, Alex was woken up at five in the fucking morning by a shrill ringing that made him want to throw the stupid alarm out of the window, boundaries be damned.

"Jefferson, you goddamn asshole, turn that stupid thing off." Alex seethed, glowering at Jefferson in the darkness. Jefferson, of course, had no concept of empathy, and decided to promptly blind Alex by turning on the lights.

Fortunately, Jefferson wasn't a morning person either. Alex wasn't sure 'morning people' actually existed. In response to Alex's angry demand, Jefferson threw his bag at him, despite the fact that it was definitely on Alex's side of the room.

"Fuck you, you bastard." Alex snapped when he got his breath back, winded by the heavy weight hitting his stomach.

"No, Hamilton, fuck you. That is a fucking tripping hazard, and you fucking know it." Jefferson retorted. Normally, Alex would be impressed at the sheer amount of swear words vehemently hissed in one sentence.

Alex, however, strongly believed that he could beat Jefferson's record. "Fuck off, you fucking bastard. Just - fuck you. You know full fucking well that my goddamn bag was in _my_ fucking territory."

"Fuck off." Jefferson almost growled, dramatically throwing open the fridge to retrieve bread that had been hidden from sight behind an alarming wall of ready meals.

" _You_ fuck off, first." Alex replied, throwing an arm over his eyes in a vein attempt to shield them from the assaulting light. Jefferson seemed to be far louder than usual, taking care to make sure Alex could hear the loud clattering of plate against plate.

There was a few seconds of pause, then rapidly muttered curse words. Alex froze, knowing full well what Jefferson was looking for and knowing exactly where it was.

"Hamilton." Jefferson hissed, knowing that he knew where it was. "Hamilton, where the fuck did you put my pens?"

Alex didn't respond, opting to feign sleep in hopes Jefferson fucked off. Instead, a pillow was promptly thrown at his chest with alarming accuracy, joining the bag. Instead of hurling it back (his automatic instinct), Alex remained perfectly still.

"Hamilton, I know you're not sleeping." Jefferson sighed, sounding deeply frustrated and suddenly tired. "Want to know how I know?"

Alex didn't answer, though he strained to hear the response. Lying still was beginning to make him loose circulation in his arm, and he deeply regretted his choice in position.

"You snore." Jefferson said, and Alex could _hear_ the frustrating smirk in his voice.

" _I do not_." Alex snapped, finally breaking his very convincing act of being asleep. He adjusted his position, taking his weight off of his arm and grimacing at the answering pins-and-needles that travelled upwards.

Jefferson huffed in rather vocal disagreement. He crossed the room loudly, opening his draws. "You do. Really fucking loudly, as well."

"Don't be dramatic." Alex scowled, sitting up. He grimaced at the light, but still moved to drop his bag at the side of his bed and thew the pillow that was thrown at him back at Jefferson. Jefferson, of course, was an asshole, and predicted this move, so he neatly caught it before placing it at the end of his bed.

"Like an old tractor," Jefferson eventually rhapsodized, sipping at black coffee that Alex viciously decided was black just like his soul. "About to break down after decades of taxing work."

"Thanks." Alex stated flatly, reaching for his phone to dismiss the alarm due in roughly half an hour. After the incredibly high level of this morning's disruption, there was no way in hell Alex would be able to fall back asleep.

"Where are my pens?" Jefferson asked, sounding far more sane now that caffeine had been introduced. Alex, unfortunately, had no such introduction, and wasn't able to reach the calmness Jefferson had quickly developed.

"Look for them yourself." He retorted, staring down at his phone and pretending to send a text to someone, because he refused to let Jefferson know that he still felt disorientation at being awoken so early.

"I _will_ steal your pens if you don't tell me where mine are." Jefferson threatened. Alex narrowed his eyes, a dozen answering threats on the tip of his tongue, but none of them spilling over.

"Leave my pens alone." Alex glared at Jefferson, glancing up from the blank screen of his phone. Jefferson glared back.

"Where are they?" He asked, words clipped in agitation, a voice that suggested he was prepared to turn the entire dorm upside down to locate them. 

Alex really couldn't be bothered to deal with him this early in the morning. He gave a small, defeated sigh, before gesturing vaguely. "My desk."

"Asshole." Thomas responded sharply, crossing his territory to retrieve the pens that had originally been on his side. Alex couldn't be bothered to care, so he merely watched Jefferson's actions cautiously, prepared to throw something at Jefferson if he tried to take something that wasn't his.

"Whatever." Alex eventually huffed after Jefferson had finished invading his area, and gave a casual flick of his hands in dismissal. "I'm going back to fake-sleep, don't even think of disturbing me."

"As long as you don't disturb me." Jefferson retorted, finally leaving the dorm and allowing Alex the freedom of loudly cursing at the ceiling without detection.

 

**

 

When Alex finally returned, Jefferson was sitting cross-legged on his bed, laptop besides him, next to at least three ready meals. Alex scrunched up his nose in distaste, but said nothing, moving to the Neutral Zone to turn the kettle on. He retrieved a green post-it note adorned pack of instant noodles, as well as the jar of coffee that looked suspiciously lower than before.

"You look like absolute shit." Jefferson announced, eyes watching Alex as he moved around the Neutral Zone with practiced ease.

"I'm a person, Jefferson, not a mirror." Alex quipped. Jefferson huffed, seemingly unimpressed with Alex's sharp comeback, and ignored him in favor for whatever the hell he was doing on his laptop.

"Stay away from my coffee." Alex called over his shoulder, giving the jar a small shake.

"Gladly." Jefferson retorted, grimacing at the mere idea of going anywhere near something that was Alex's. Alex rolled his eyes, carefully walking along the outskirts of Jefferson's designated area and into his. Observant eyes watched him the entire time, as though Alex would want to cross over into Jefferson's territory.

 

**

 

Unfortunately, Alex had adjusted to Jefferson's ridiculous timetable, and he automatically woke up at five in the morning, a few seconds before the shrieking, grating alarm that Jefferson was seemingly so fond of.

"Turn that fucking thing off." Alex hissed, throwing a pen at Jefferson's designated area. It missed him, rebounding in an impressive arc against the wall, but still landed in Jefferson's area. 

Regardless, Alex was always a firm believer in the idea that it was _the thought that counts_.

"Fuck off, you fucking bastard." Jefferson retorted, taking a few seconds longer than needed to actually move and dismiss the alarm, because Jefferson _really_ enjoyed making people's lives a misery.

Alex huffed, turning on the main lights before Jefferson could, the corner of his lips quirking upwards into a smirk at the surprised sound that Jefferson made. He wasn't going to go back to sleep - not when he could annoy Jefferson as much as possible.

Turning on the lights was a small frustration, but getting to the Neutral Zone first and adding enough water to the kettle for only one cup of coffee to be made was something that had Jefferson scowling at him. Alex merely beamed at him, feeling surprisingly energised. He didn't even mind Harry Styles grinning at him with his creepily watchful eyes.

One cup of coffee and surprisingly few aggressive exchanges later, Alex was left feeling far more prepared for the day ahead than he could remember being. He sighed, blearily throwing on a hoodie that he vaguely recognised.

There was a sudden, distinct halt in loud movements. When Alex turned to frown at the sudden pause in movements, he was met with Jefferson's stare.

"That's my hoodie." Jefferson said slowly, then cleared his throat. His eyes raked up and down Alex's torso, eyes unreadable. "You're aware of that, right?"

"Shit." Alex announced, promptly answering in the negative. A quick glance around the room informed him of a distinct lack of hoodies that belonged to him.

Jefferson finally stopped staring at him, glancing down at his cup of coffee. "Have you ran out of them or something?"

"I have like, ten." Alex sighed, wondering exactly where the _like, ten_ were located.

"All of them are hideous." Jefferson retorted, raising an eyebrow. Alex huffed, crossing his arms, trying to ignore the warm softness that indicated a rarely used hoodie being a few sizes to large.

"You're hideous." Alex snapped, defensive of his hoodies and refusing to let Jefferson talk shit about them 

"Delightful." Jefferson responded, sounding relatively usurprised at Alex's quick retort. Alex sighed again, feeling quite frustrated, and began to rummage around his draws for a hoodie, or something that was similar, but finding nothing.

"Fuck me." Alex said loudly, closing his draws, taking care not to damage them any more. He closed his eyes, resting his forehead against rough pine.

"No thanks, you're not my type." Jefferson replied, and Alex could hear the uncaring shrug in his voice. Alex grimaced. He tried his draws again in the thin hope that maybe he had somehow overlooked something, but yet again turned up empty-handed.

"I have no hoodies." He declared loudly to the world at large. "None. They're all in the drycleaning place."

"Ha, well done." Jefferson said, as sympathetic as he usually was. Alex gave a small sigh of dismay, wanting to throw his hands up in hopelessness but refusing to do so in front of Jefferson.

"I can't go outside without a hoodie. It's tradition." Alex said, mostly to himself, before turning to face Jefferson, who was watching him with crossed arms. "Jefferson, I'm breaking tradition."

"Oh my god. Shut up and keep it on, then." Jefferson huffed, sounding completely done with something. Alex blinked, before understanding what Jefferson had said, and glanced down at the green ' _Monticello_ ' hoodie that he was currently wearing.

Alex narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He pulled awkwardly at a sleeve, before glancing up to meet Jefferson's eyes  "What do you want in return?"

Jefferson's answer was without any hesitation whatsoever. "For you to shut up for the rest of the day."

"Deal." Alex agreed, before grimacing. If John even caught wind of this, he would have to deal with wiggly eyebrows and innuendos for the rest of the year. "We mention this to nobody."

"Nobody." Jefferson repeated. There was a pause, and Jefferson's eyes remained on Alex for a few more seconds before he turned to leave.

 

**

 

They had an unspoken routine. An unspoken routine that Alex was quite comfortable with, and didn't particularly want it to be disrupted. They would bicker in the early morning, sometimes resorting to hurling various objects at eachother, before leaving for their respective lectures - Jefferson first, then Alex. When Alex returned, Jefferson would be on his laptop, and would throw an insult at Alex as a greeting. Alex would retort with one, and they would spend the rest of the evening in companionable quiet, occasionally exchanging muttered barbs.

However, Jefferson _had_ to be difficult. Jefferson had to disrupt their routine.

"Oh no." Alex said loudly, glaring at the stupid fucking tie neatly attached to the door. His chest felt far too tight at the implications of this. "Oh _hell_ no."

Alex didn't care what the common courtesy was. 

He knocked loudly on the door. There was a sigh from the other side of the door, then a soft, indistinguishable murmur. There was a quiet answer, then the door was opened. Thankfully, Jefferson had remained fully clothed, but he didn't open the door wide enough for Alex to be able to look into the dorm and see who the fuck he was with.

"Hamilton, you are aware that the whole ' _tie on the door_ ' is a universal indicator for ' _I have company'_?" Jefferson asked, arching an eyebrow. Alex narrowed his eyes, trying to ignore the feeling of deep betrayal he felt rising within his chest and constricting tightly, like a vice.

"Not in our dorm, asshole." Alex snapped, lips thinned. He gestured vaguely at the door, before crossing his arms. "Tell her to go."

"Him." Jefferson tersely corrected, and something in Alex _ached_. "Also? No."

"Unbelievable." Alex said softly, biting down hard on his lip, hoping that the brief flick of pain would stop the odd, heavy hurt. "You're a dick."

"Go room with Laurens or something, I really don't care." Jefferson retorted. Alex was about to reply, but Jefferson closed the door before he could.

"Asshole." Alex snapped at the closed door. Predictably, Jefferson ignored him in favor of muttering a quiet yet distinct apology. Alex cursed softly. He felt strangely empty, as though something _deeply wrong_ had happened yet he was unable to do anything about it. There was nothing much he was able to do apart from aimlessly amble down the corridor, passing several dorm rooms, stopping outside of number _042_.

After a few seconds of quiet hesitation, he gently tapped the door. There was a few seconds of pause, before the door opened.

"John." Alex said, glancing over his shoulder. Normally, he and John would go over Hercules and Lafayette's dorm, so it felt quite strange to address him in his own dorm.

"Hey, Alex." John greeted, stepping out and closing the door. He tilted his head to the left, eyes softened and concerned. "What's up?"

Alex gritted his teeth, sending a venomous glare down the corridor. "Jefferson has _company_."

At this, John grimaced in distaste. He too, sent a glower down the corridor, and at that moment, Alex was immensely grateful John was willing to adopt distaste for anyone that had wronged his friends. "What an asshole."

"Indeed." Alex agreed flatly. Part of him called for storming back to the dorm, scolding Jefferson for as long as possible, and sending whoever  _he_ was outside. Hopefully, Jefferson wouldn't try anything like _this_ again. Alex's fists clenched tightly, and he forced his breathing to level.

John still glared down the corridor, before turning on his heel and calling into his apartment. "Yo, Aaron, can Alex stay over?"

"Yes." The response was calm, though Alex could tell that Burr wasn't too pleased with the natural order of things being disrupted. Alex could relate. "Please be quiet, if you can."

John grinned at him, pulling him into his dorm with far more energy than expected. He immediately rooted around the closet besides Burr. Alex frowned, before remembering that in order to keep peace, not everyone had to designate sectors of the dorm and have Neutral Zones. There weren't any flashy _One Direction_ posters, and Alex was surprised at how wrong that felt.

"He has a boy over." Alex sighed. His anger had quickly left him, and he was left feeling small. "Whoever he is probably doesn't even _know_ Jefferson."

"No." John agreed distantly, busying himself with an alarmingly orange sleeping bag that would be incredibly shit for using during camping. Alex watched his actions for a few seconds, before sighing.

"They don't know about him waking up at stupid o'clock, or his alarming dietary habits." He added significantly. He raked a tired hand through his hair, wanting to curl up into a ball and forget the entire goddamn night.

This had John pause in his actions. He stopped attempting to throttle the orange sleeping bag to glance up at Alex in surprise. "Alex, are you _jealous_?"

"Of what? His dietary habits?" Alex raised an eyebrow. He pressed his arms close against his chest. "I'm surprised he's lived as long as he has, John, so no."

John rolled his eyes. Surprisingly, he turned to exchange significant looks with Burr, before turning back to face Alex. "Are you jealous of his _company_?"

"I don't know who's with him." Alex sighed, wiping a weary hand across his face. He wished he did. He wished he could learn as much as he could about  _him_ , to find out what had drawn Jefferson to him in the first place, to discover what was more important than the routine they had developed.

"Nevermind." John shrugged, offering Alex a bright grin, one that Alex attempted to return, but his heart wasn't in it. "Which one of us is sleeping on the bed?"

"You." Alex immediately answered. John looked as though he was about to protest, so Alex crossed his arms and tried to glare. "It's not up for debate."

John still looked as though he wanted to argue with Alex, but thought better of it. He grimaced, glancing at the bright orange, before offering a one-shoulered shrug. "Have fun."

Alex smiled in response, a little more genuine than before. Burr was watching him with open concern, but when Alex met his eyes, he glanced away, not mentioning anything. Alex sighed. He settled down, adjusting to the discomfort and coldness, and desperately tried not to think of Jefferson with another man.

 

**

 

The next morning was unfamiliar. He didn't like the disruption in order, even if it meant spending more time with his best friend and an unsurprisingly quiet Aaron Burr. The coffee tasted wrong - too smooth, and not enough like (as Jefferson had described) car battery acid. He was able to borrow clothes off John, as John was only an inch or so taller than he was, but the rest of the day was spend with disorientation. He wasn't able to focus in his lecture, thoughts drifting away - unwelcome and unbidden - to Jefferson and his  _companion._

Alex didn't know it was possible to hold this amount of contempt for a man he didn't even know the name of, but somehow he managed. He was far more irritable than usual - both Angelica and Lafayette sent worried glances over to him, but were subtly warned off by John.

When the day finally ended and he was to return to his dorm, he hesitated. He wanted to go back, to have a loud confrontation with Jefferson, yet he knew that he definitely didn't have the right to demand that Jefferson stay away from other men. It didn't make him want to do so any less, but he knew that this level of anger was mostly unreasonable.

He opened the door to his dorm, briefly taken aback by how normal everything looked. Jefferson glanced up from his laptop, raising an eyebrow at Alex's glare.

"So." Alex said coolly, swallowing against the resentment for that unnamed man that had wrapped around against his throat. "Who was he?"

Jefferson huffed, though his eyes were cautious and calculating. Alex didn't like the guarded way he was being examined, so he set to the Neutral Zone to keep his hands busy. He wondered if Jefferson's  _companion_ knew about how the dorm was divided, if he knew about their routine and what he had singlehandedly disrupted. When he glanced over at Jefferson, he found that he was still being watched. "A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell."

"Thank god you aren't a gentleman." Alex said flatly, without humor. The air was tense. Alex watched Jefferson for his reaction. For some reason this was far more important than Alex could express.

"James was staying over." Jefferson shrugged, unperturbed, as though he knew that Alex had spent hours agonizing over the entire exchange and merely _didn't care_.

"James?" Alex repeated, eyes narrowed. His heart seemed to stop for a beat or so, before returning, causing him to feel lightheaded. "As in, James Madison? You go out with James Madison?"

"I said I had company, Alexander, not what I was doing with them." Jefferson replied brusquely, jaw tense. "Why do you care, anyway? You were busy with _John_."

"What the fuck were you doing with him, then?" Alex demanded, crossing his arms. He knew that he didn't have to know, that it was none of his business, yet he couldn't help but ask.

Jefferson scowled, unimpressed with how intrusive Alex was being. "We're friends. Nothing more, nothing less."

Alex sighed. He felt exhausted, resting his head against cool stone and wanting to stay there, to pretend that the dynamics in their relationship hadn't permanently shifted. Quietly, he whispered, "I hate you."

Something that looked suspiciously like hurt flashed across Jefferson's face, but he was quickly able to school his features into a picture of cold indifference. "Cry a river, build a bridge, and get over it, Hamilton."

"Asshole." Alex said, his voice shaky at how deeply he meant it. Jefferson seemed to look as though he wanted to take something back, as though he regretted saying something too much, or not enough.

Alex couldn't stay here. The closure had merely opened up more questions, questions that he knew he had no right to ask. Even if Jefferson answered him - which he most likely wouldn't, Alex would always have questions, some with no answers, some with answers he knew he didn't want to hear.

"I'm going over a friends." Alex said. He moved quietly, crossing to his area as quickly as possible, grabbing a backpack and opening his draws. Alex wanted Jefferson to say something, to protest, but no words were spoken. This, perhaps, was the answer that Alex didn't want to hear.

His backpack seemed to weigh him down, far more than he knew was logical, but he ignored it. He refused to glance across at Jefferson, who he knew was watching him carefully. Every action he took made the pain in his chest hurt more, but he refused to acknowledge it. He hesitated when he opened the door.

"Don't wait up." Alex eventually said. Jefferson didn't reply immediately - there were no explanations, nor any demands for the answers Alex knew he didn't have. With a tiny sigh, he closed the door to their dorm.

He couldn't move any further yet, his hands trembling slightly as he rested his forehead against the door and pressed his eyes shut.

"Stay safe." Jefferson said quietly, so quietly that Alex wondered if he had imagined it - merely whistful thinking, perhaps.

He waited a minute.

Then another.

Alex didn't want to listen to the heavy silence any more, so he turned and he walked away.

 

**

 

"Thanks for letting me stay over." Alex said quietly. Predictably, Lafayette tutted, waving his hand as though Alex could dismiss his worry at intruding in on two of his friends' space.

"Of course, _mon petit cher_." Lafayette smiled, eyes bright but obvious in the blatant concern that shined there. "Any time."

"Thanks." Alex repeated again, offering a wan grin. Lafayette, of course, saw the weakness in his expression, and pressed him into his chest, nearly crushing Alex's ribs in the process, but for once, Alex allowed himself this small comfort. Hercules, naturally, joined the hug, and Alex could barely breathe, but he didn't want to be anywhere else but there, with two of his best friends.

"Call us!" Hercules called after his retreating back. Alex turned and waved, a genuine smile pulling at his lips. As soon as he turned around though, it faltered. He knew he couldn't avoid Jefferson any more. Two days of complete avoidance was a feat for Alex, especially trying to avoid Jefferson, since they had a habit of randomly meeting in the college grounds.

He bit at his lip, trying to keep himself from anxiously pulling at the cuff if his shirt. It was inevitable, he knew that. It was better to be confronted on his own terms, without an audience. With a small sigh, he walked to his dorm, hands in pockets, trying to think of anything to say. He was as prepared as he could be, and that wasn't much.

With a small sigh, he entered his dorm.

Immediately, Jefferson stood up. He had crossed over to Alex's side of the room, back resting against his draws and staring into space. Countless expressions flicked across his face before he settled on hurt. "You've been sulking."

Alex swallowed at the accusatory tone to Jefferson's voice. Quietly, he closed the door behind him. "No, I haven't."

"You have. You've been avoiding me - hell, you've _avoided_ me for two _fucking_ days." He looked as though he wanted to laugh, yet was barely able to refrain from doing so. "I thought I'd enjoy two days without hearing you complain."

"Do you want me to complain?" Alex asked, dropping his backpack at the foot of his bed. Jefferson traced that movement, shoulders relaxing barely.

"You do little else." Jefferson said softly, and Alex could tell that for once, his words were not meant to insult. "Forgive me for being surprised."

"I'm too tired to put up with your bullshit, Jefferson." Alex muttered, unpacking his backpack and taking care to carefully not watch Jefferson out of the corner of his eye.

"How was John?" It was a peace offering, even Alex could tell that. Jefferson was putting the first step forward, knowing that Alex's pride would never allow him to do so. Alex was surprised - he had expected the tension to follow them for the remainder of the year, until Jefferson was able to ask for a new roommate.

Alex glanced up to meet Jefferson's eyes.

"I didn't go to John's." He said, watching carefully for Jefferson's reactions. He knew his steps forward would have to be carefully calculated, so he continued. "I went to Lafayette's. He said hi."

This was evidently the correct thing to say. Some of the hurt had passed from Jefferson's expression, so he offered a tiny, honest smile. "I guess it's only polite for me to say hi back, then."

Alex smiled back at him, feeling a heavy weight lift from his shoulders. He felt as though he could breathe easier, safe in the knowledge that there was no permanent damage to his and Jefferson's tenuous relationship.

"Hey, Hamilton." Jefferson eventually offered, a trace of his old self-assured confidence finding its way back into his voice.

Alex gave a tiny smile at the sound of it, hit with the thought of how much he  _missed_ Jefferson. Alex sighed dramatically, comfortable with the knowledge that both of them knew it was completely exaggerated. "What?"

"Want to know a secret?" Jefferson asked, a slightly mischievous tilt to his lips. Alex raised an eyebrow.

"Not really." He shrugged. "But continue."

"I hate One Direction." Jefferson said, and waited. The effects were almost immediate. Alex narrowed his eyes. He glanced up at the alarming amount of One Direction posters Jefferson had cheerfully littered the walls with.

Alex scowled, though there was no heat whatsoever behind his glare. "Why the fuck do you play it, then?"

Jefferson's smirk broadened into a grin. "Because you hate it more."

"Oh, you're an _ass_." Alex laughed, because that statement was so goddamn _typical_ of Jefferson it was impossible not to smile at.

"Yeah, I know." Jefferson shrugged, though the pleased edge to his smile showed that he wanted their relationship back to normal just as much as Alex did.

"Fuck it." Alex announced, then gestured vaguey. Jefferson followed his movements with a raised eyebrow, though Alex still had his interest, so he continued. "If I beat you in _Mario Kart_ , will you take down the stupid posters and stop playing their songs?"

"Yes. _When_ I win, however, I get to have the rest of your shitty instant coffee." Jefferson retorted, eyes light.

Alex let out a low whistle. "High stakes."

"Backing out, Hamilton?" Jefferson asked, and Alex knew he was being baited, but he allowed himself to be.

"Hardly." Alex gave a derisive huff, enjoying the normalcy of their exchange. It felt as though the past three days hadn't happened, and Alex wanted to live in that illusion.

Alex watched as Jefferson - after cursing many, many times at the television and informing it just how pissed off he was, set up Mario Kart. Without a word, he busied himself in the kitchenette, using two mugs and making coffee quicker than he ever had before. Jefferson had set up the game so that it was facing Alex's bed. With a tiny, private smile, he joined Jefferson, sitting cross-legged on his bed and trying to subtly lean into Jefferson's warmth.

"Oh, for fucks sake, you got Yoshi." Alex muttered, glaring in mock-offence at Jefferson. He passed Jefferson's mug to him with as much dramatic flare as possible, but as predicted, Jefferson wasn't dazzled by his acute acting abilities.

He arched an eyebrow. "Yoshi isn't actually the best, you know."

"Why can't I choose him, then?" Alex questioned, crossing his arms and trying his best to look as angry as possible. Judging by the small, upwards quirk at the corner of Jefferson's lips, he wasn't quite successful.

"Just because you were too slow doesn't mean I have to suffer." Jefferson retorted, over-pronouncing his words in a smooth drawl.

"Whatever." Alex shrugged, trying to out on a confident and haughty front. " _I'm_ having Mario."

Jefferson merely _looked_ at Alex, with silent disappointment and an almost sympathetic shine to his eyes. Alex scowled, not wanting to acknowledge the fact that Jefferson was actor better actor than he was. Jefferson gave his arm an empathetic tap. "I don't envy you."

"I get to pick the course." Alex scowled, because Jefferson obviously had the advantage, so Alex might as well try to even up the playing field.

"Only because I pity you." Jefferson said gently, eyes soft as though he could genuinely not look upon the set of events without a degree of pity.

"Shove your pity up your ass, Jefferson." Alex snapped. His sharp retort caught Jefferson off guard, as he gave a soft, surprised laugh.

Alex turned to face him, but when he did, a small smirk was sent in his direction. "Kinky."

"No." Alex said, feeling dull color rise to his face and trying not to acknowledge it. Without a word, he scrolled pass the courses, finally settling on the only suitable option.

"Rainbow Road?" Jefferson asked, surprised.

"Live life without fear." Alex deadpanned, eyes solemn and earnest. Jefferson huffed.

"Without logic, either." He contradicted, even as Alex selected the course. "Rainbow Road is literally the most difficult map for a beginner."

"I'm hardly a beginner, Jefferson." Alex dismissed, even as he sat up to gain a more direct focus. He was completely concentrated.

"Whatever lets you sleep at night." Jefferson retorted, watching him with a smile that, on anyone else, could be described as fond.

His friendship with John had prepared him for this. It was a close win, Alex only barely beating Thomas by accidentally throwing a pen at him (twice), though thankfully, Thomas didn't seem to mind that much, laughing at Alex and his attempts for a diversion.

"That was awful, Thomas." Alex announced, even though he had achieved second place and probably would have won. "And you were talking shit about _me_ being a beginner?"

"Shut up. You threw a pen at me." Thomas huffed, crossing his arms and looking to the world like a man who had been gravely insulted.

"I did  _not_." Alex gasped, turning to face Thomas with raised eyebrows. To establish his point, he clutched at his heart. "I am _wounded_!"

"You did it twice, Alex." Thomas retorted. He looked at Alex as though he was deeply disappointed. "It's sad that you could only win by cheating."

"There are no rules in Mario Kart, Thomas. It's a warzone." Alex shrugged, carrying their mugs over to the sink and leaving them there. Thomas stayed to sort out the game, far more efficient now that he knew what to do and what not to do.

"Try to excuse it all you want, we both know that it was cheating." Thomas said lightly. Alex muttered something rather loudly about ' _proud Virginians who refuse to be humble_ ' and Thomas shot him a sharp look.

"Fuck, it's late." Thomas said, glancing at his alarm with a raised eyebrow. Alex sighed, shrugging, because he wasn't sure what else to do, or what else would happen now. Thomas turned off all of the lights, sending the room into a sudden darkness.

"Tomorrow, all of the posters better be gone." Alex said to a dark room.

"Asshole." Thomas muttered sleepily in response, but said nothing else.

Alex allowed himself to relax, listening to Thomas's steady breathing. It was a comforting sound, one that he didn't realise he had missed. Quietly, he offered, "I missed you."

"Missed you, too." Thomas responded gently. Alex wished he could see Thomas's expression, pick up on how he was feeling. "Now let me sleep, you bastard."

 

**

 

They settled back into their routine easily enough. If, by easily, Alex meant swearing loudly at Thomas, and Thomas snapping back in an equally harsh tone. Thomas would take far longer than necessary to turn off his alarm, just piss Alex off. Occasionally, Thomas would do something annoying, and Alex would confront him, hands on hips and lips thinned.

"Why has everything suddenly migrated to the top of the cupboard?" Alex asked, as though he was genuinely confused and wanted an answer.

"Has it? I haven't noticed." Thomas shrugged, lying through his teeth. They both knew it, but it was up to Alex to either play along and feign ignorance or call him out on it.

Alex was too short tempered to play along, so he glared. "Don't play coy, Jefferson, you're behind this."

"I thought you were for migration." Thomas said, looking deeply disappointed, as though Alex had personally let him down. Alex rolled his eyes.

"I am." He snapped, crossing his arms 

"What, for selective migration?" Thomas mused, frowning as though he was genuinely considering the idea.

"Migration that doesn't involve me having to use a chair to make coffee." Alex retorted, and, to make his point, dragged the chair loudly across their dorm, grinning at the grimace Thomas gave him in response 

"You're a nerd." Thomas announced, eyes fixed on Alex as he spoke.

Alex merely shrugged. "I learn from the best."

"Jesus." Thomas sighed, eyes cast up to the ceiling, looking as though he felt far older than he actually was.

"No, not Jesus, I learned them from you." Alex frowned, head tilted to the left in mock worry.

"Funny." Jefferson said flatly, his tone of voice indicating that he didn't actually find what Alex had said even remotely humorous.

 

**

 

It was one of their more rare and quiet mornings, one where Thomas didn't hesitate to turn off his alarm and Alex would make two cups of coffee. They stood in companionable silence.

Alex bit his lip. He could regret what he was about to say, but it felt as though he  _had_ to know. Eventually, he blurted out,  "Did you do anything with James?"

Thomas looked at him sharply, startled at the sudden noise, but he frowned when he saw that Alex looked genuinely interested. "No."

"Good." Alex replied softly, watching Thomas spare him a small smile at his response.

 

**

 

The following evening, Alex walked into a dark room, the curtains pulled over the windows. Thomas was on his own bed, wearing a small frown. However, when Alex walked in, he glanced up.

"What are you doing?" Alex asked, head tilted to the left. Thomas sighed, glaring at his laptop as though it had personally offended him.

" _Trying_ to watch a horror movie." Thomas answered. At this Alex frowned. He briefly considered reminding Thomas that he had a dissertation due in, and was most likely procrastinating, but didn't mention it.

"What one?" Alex questioned, dropping his bag by his bed and automatically heading to the kitchenette.

 _"The Babadook."_ Thomas responded, before there was a small mutter of ' _finally_ ' that indicated a hard-won success.

Alex grinned. He retrieved two mugs, before replying. "The gay one? Are you babashook?"

Predictably, Thomas gave a small sigh of disappointment at Alex's amazing pun. "No. Are you?"

"I haven't watched it." Alex shrugged, setting the kettle on and resting his back against a counter. He met Thomas's eyes.

"Scared of doing so?" Thomas asked, raising an eyebrow. Alex gave a small huff of derision.

"Fuck off, I'll watch it with you and show you how not-scared I am." He retorted, before grimacing at being unable to think of a better word than _not-scared_.

"English skills over nine thousand." Thomas said, picking up on Alex's lack of eloquence.

"Me? The worstest at Englishing?" Alex inquired flatly, preparing two cups of coffee as he spoke. "That's unpossible."

Thomas's lips quirked up to show his amusement, but he gestured besides him. "Sit down, you idiot. Let's watch this."

Alex grinned, setting the cups on Thomas's desk and ignore the small mutter of _'use coasters_ ' he received. He settled besides Thomas, far closer than normal due to the fact they had to watch the movie from a laptop screen.

The movie, of course, was fucking terrifying.

Alex wasn't proud to say that he was rather vocal, providing running commentary that made Thomas tell him to shut up more than once. It wasn't his fault that the weird shadow monster was creepy as hell, or the protagonist's son was actually rather unhelpful.

When the movie was over, there was a few seconds of silence. Alex was unable to break the silence, staring at the blank screen. Without a word, Alex sorted out the empty coffee mugs, because that was better than staying still. Roughly an hour later, Alex was sat up in his own bed, staring at the wall. "I have many regrets, Thomas. Watching that movie was one of them."

There was a small sigh. Alex listened to the shuffling that indicated that Thomas had opted to turn towards him. "I promise no eerie monsters are about to appear and kill you."

"Comforting." Alex said flatly, staring into the darkness. He was surprisingly tense, despite the stillness in the room.

"It should be." Thomas shrugged. With that, Alex paused. A few minutes of silence passed, I'm which he continued to stare unseeing into the dark.

"You still awake?" Alex asked. At the lack of response, he frowned. "Thomas?"

"Bitch, the fuck you want?" Thomas response was grumbled, yet far less annoyed than Alex had expected.

Rather quietly, Alex said, "I can't sleep."

"Well, I can." Thomas retorted. Alex scowled in his general direction, though the affect was broken by the fact that Thomas couldn't see him. A few more minutes of silence followed, before Thomas sighed. "Urgh. You mention this to nobody."

"Mention what?" Alex frowned. Instead of replying, Thomas moved. Alex was tense for a few seconds, before he received his answer. Thomas had crossed the room to settle besides Alex, chest resting against Alex's back. Without a word, Thomas moved his arm so it was resting against Alex's chest, and Alex felt far safer than he wanted to admit.

"Thanks." Alex muttered, cheeks heating up, even as he shifted forward to allow Thomas more space, and moved his hand to rest against Thomas's. "You're warm, you know that?"

"We can't all be cold-blooded lizards like you." Thomas retorted sleepliy. Alex rolled his eyes, huffing in response.

"It was a compliment." Alex offered. Thomas didn't reply, so Alex took that as a sign that he had won. Instead of repeating himself until Thomas acknowledged his sharp response, he remaimed quiet, fingers resting over Thomas's wrist, listening to the soft beat of his heart.

 

**

 

Surprisingly, next morning wasn't awkward. The alarm set off at five in the morning, so Alex swore at Thomas until he moved to turn it off. In response to Alex's complaining, Thomas removed the blankets from Alex, laughing at the increased and more vulgar complaints given by Alex. He glared at Thomas, trying to put as much fury as he could into his expression, but Thomas merely raised an eyebrow, looking as unthreatened as possible.

Thomas busied himself in the kitchenette, back turned, so without a word, Alex moved behind him and wrapped his arms around Thomas's waist, enjoying the warmth that he radiated.

"What are you doing?" Thomas asked quietly, freezing up, as though if he moved or spoke too loudly, Alex would leave. Alex huffed, but didn't move.

"It's cold, you're warm." Alex said, and would've shrugged if it meant that he could maintain the same position. "You're a smart man, put one and one together."

"A compliment? From you?" Thomas inquired, but made no move to push Alex away, which was always a good sign. "That movie must've really terrified you."

"Shut up. I'm having your fancy coffee, you twat." Alex retorted, watching as Thomas gave a small huff of amusement and reached up to grab the bag of coffee that probably cost more than all of Alex's clothes combined.

"Not my fancy coffee, Alex." Thomas replied dryly, tapping Alex's arm as though his was a serious step in the right direction. " _Ours_."

Alex grinned, though Thomas couldn't see it, and he asked, "How come?"

"Your shitty home-brand instant is upsetting to look at." Thomas shrugged, adding boiling water to the mugs and staying as still as possible.

"Pretentious." Alex observed.

"Stylish." Thomas contradicted.

"Whatever." Alex muttered, accepting his mug with a small, private smile and not caring whether Thomas noticed.

 

**

 

Later that afternoon, when Alex returned from his lecture, he dropped his bag off besides his bed and headed straight for the fridge. Surprisingly, the wall of ready meals had lost the post-it notes marking them as Thomas's. It was an obvious gesture, one that spoke of a high level of trust.

When he turned to face Thomas, he found that he was being watched. When Alex raised an eyebrow, Thomas stared at him with a small frown. "You're very short. I've never noticed that before."

"Thanks, asshole." Alex replied, deciding to remove all of the green post-it notes from his things, hoping that Thomas would notice and understand the response.

"It's a compliment." Thomas shrugged, gaze resting back on his laptop. "It makes you look cute."

"I'm not cute, I'm badass." Alex retorted. He couldn't be bothered to make anything yet, so he closed the fridge door and moved to retrieve his laptop. After a few seconds of debate, he opted to sit besides Thomas, back resting against the wall.

"Of course you are." Thomas said dryly, offering him a overly-sweet smile, as though he was willing to put up with Alex's whims. Alex rolled his eyes, but said nothing, opting to continue work.

It was nice, working besides Thomas without proper arguments, exchanging light debates that mostly ended with either of them shrugging, muttering something along the lines of, ' _you're wrong, but okay'_ and continuing to work. Halfway through, Alex had given up, and proceeded to watch Vines on YouTube, turning up the volume just to piss Thomas off. Thomas, of course, responded with a few choice words and an early _Justin Bieber_ song, since _One Direction_ was still banned.

 

**

 

This time, when Alex chose to turn Thomas's alarm off, he decided that it was because there were better options for waking someone up at five in the morning.

He ended up walking Thomas five minutes past the usual time, because Thomas needed the few extra minutes and because he looked peaceful, and Alex didn't want to disturb that.

"Wake up." Alex nudged Thomas gently, biting back a smile at the complaint he got in response.

"Fuck off." Thomas snapped, trying to avoid Alex's nudging by moving backwards slightly, but Alex merely continued to tap him to the point where Thomas scowled and threw a nearby book at him.

Alex dodged the attack, before grinning. "Did you know that you're actually the antichrist in the morning?"

"I will destroy everything you love if you don't shut up." Thomas muttered grimly, attempting to return to sleep. Alex rolled his eyes at the dramatic edge to Thomas's voice.

"Coffee." Alex announced. At this, Thomas froze, frowning at Alex.

"Coffee." Thomas repeated slowly. His eyes drifted towards the offered mug, before meeting Alex's eyes, raising his eyebrows as though he was asking if Alex was serious. Without a word, he accepted the drink.

Alex bit back a grin at his quiet acceptance, watching Thomas as he relaxed a bit more and adjusted to the morning. Thomas sighed, content, before offering Alex a small smile. "Good morning, anyway."

"I always love watching you suddenly change your personality after coffee." Alex replied, completely genuine.

"As if you aren't the same." Thomas retorted. "I remember you breaking your phone by throwing it at a wall because the alarm went off."

"You set it forward." Alex said defensively, crossing his arms and glaring. At this, Thomas grinned, standing up and walking over to the kitchenette 

"Yeah, by ten minutes, not five hours." Thomas shrugged, uncaring at the accusatory notd to Alex's glare.

"Ten minutes are important." Alex retorted, unimpressed by the lack of empathy he was given, watching Thomas as he moved about their kitchenette. Thomas ignored his comment.

"You deadass called me the antichrist." He frowned, looking vaguely amused but also rather perplexed, as though he was unsure whether he should be offended by that.

Alex crossed his arms. "In the mornings, you are."

Thomas sent him a small smile, having decided that he wasn't offended by Alex's insult. He continued sorting something that Alex couldn't quite see, before turning in his heel and pressing something against Alex's chest. Automatically, Alex accepted it, because if he didn't, it would end up being dropped and he didn't particularly want Thomas making comments on coordination.

"Did you just make me lunch?" Alex slowly stated, pronouncing the words carefully as his frown deepened.

Thomas looked unimpressed at Alex's confusion, and he merely stated a terse, "Yes."

"How?" Alex asked, because it was better than asking why.

"With love." Thomas offered softly, though the small quirk to his lips told Alex that he wasn't being quite serious.

Alex rolled his eyes, waving a hand as though he could dismiss Thomas's answer. "You know what I meant."

"I have time and money." Thomas shrugged, before tilting his head at Alex and speaking very slowly, as though he was a young child. "One and one equals two."

"Wow, with knowledge like that, it's a wonder you haven't gone for a maths degree." 

"I am a man of many talents." Thomas grinned, then gave a significant look at Alex. "I don't see you complaining."

"I'm not. I'm actually quite thankful." Alex replied, sending Thomas an equally significant look. "It's been a while since I've had lunch."

Thomas looked as though he strongly disapproved, but merely stated, "Healthy."

"I try." Alex said. At this, Thomas rolled his eyes, evidently wanting to retort, but a quick glance at his alarm told he was roughly two minutes behind schedule. Instead of swearing, like Alex expected him to, Thomas sent him a 'see you later', and promptly left their dorm. Alex realised he was smiling at nothing, but found that he didn't care.

 

**

 

It was later that day, when he was walking back to his dorm with John, that the realisation hit him. John had asked him to come over Hercules and Lafayette's place with him, and Alex had said that he was busy - it was a realisation that he was busy, that he consciously chose to spend more time with Thomas than with his closest friends.

The following realisation was that Thomas had done the same.

"Holy shit." Alex announced, causing John to look at him sharply with a frown. Alex waved off his concern, opting to head to his dorm. He paused when he was outside, attempting to form a plan, but finding that he could think of none. Instead of hesitating, he chose to head inside. As usual, Thomas was with his laptop, and glanced up when Alex entered.

"We're basically dating." Alex said, watching Thomas for his reaction.

Instead of immediate denials, or even a surprised look, Thomas just shrugged, as though he had known this for a long time, and was unsurprised with Alex's revelation. "Basically."

"How the hell did I not notice this?" Alex asked, not frustrated at the fact that they were basically dating, but at the fact that he wasn't able to work it out quickly.

"You have shit observation skills?" Thomas offered. Without a word, Alex sighed, before sitting besides Thomas. Thomas watched him carefully.

Alex frowned. "How long have you known?"

"Alex." Thomas said dryly, turning off his laptop to face Alex better. "I've done my victory dance over two weeks ago."

"You're a nerd." Alex sighed, punching the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

At this, Thomas gave a tiny smirk, and nudged Alex gently with his shoulder. "Your nerd, though."

"Yeah. My nerd." Alex smiled, leaning into the touch and relaxing. He was okay with this - he was fine with basically dating Thomas fucking Jefferson, his asshole roommate, the man who woke up at stupid times in the morning.

There was a pause. Alex frowned. "Seriously though, over _two weeks_?"

Thomas laughed, seemingly unsurprised at Alex focusing on his lack of awareness. "Three weeks, give or take a few days. Want to watch a movie?"

Alex made a show of thinking it through, even though they both knew what the answer was. Eventually, Alex shrugged. "As long as it isn't horror."

"That movie really scared you, huh?" Thomas asked, reopening his laptop and clicking on a site that was most likely illegal to stream a random movie.

"No." Alex lied, then hastily added, "I'm not scared by anything."

"Liar." Thomas replied, though the smile that he wore toke away the bite to that comment. Alex rolled his eyes, opting to ignore that comment in favor of curling up besides Thomas and enjoying the warmth he provided.

**Author's Note:**

> My favourite game; how many times have I used the following words?
> 
> Character names (Alex, Jefferson, Thomas): 589  
> Retorted: 22  
> Coffee: 21
> 
>  
> 
> Edit for the world's worst typo


End file.
